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Trowbridge man jailed for defrauding pensioner

A fraudster who cheated a pensioner out of thousands of pounds has been jailed for three years and two months.

Shaun Salat stole cash from the 66-year-old who had offered him help as well as taking his identity to fleece the bank and other firms.

The 33-year-old even persuaded his victim to help pay his court costs for earlier matters as he insisted he had put his criminal ways behind him.

But in reality he was taking the man's money from his bank account while accepting his charity and helping him around the house.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court on Friday how the crime came to light after victim David Bagg had been away on holiday last October.

When he got back he had a letter from the bank saying he had been approved for a £10,000 loan he knew nothing about.

The pensioner contacted his local branch and found that not only had the borrowing been granted, but computer banking had also been opened without his knowledge.

It was found that the phone number provided to start the online account was Salat's and that over the previous weeks £7,915 had been taken from his account.

A few weeks later Mr Bagg got a call from Carphone Warehouse about a mobile phone contract which he had not applied for.

The court heard Salat had lied to them saying the victim lived at his house, having moved from his Adcroft Street home, and, suffering from a gambling addiction, that he had used the name to get casino facilities on his mobile.

Salat, of Sleightholme Court, Trowbridge, admitted six counts of fraud, one of theft and two money laundering offences.

He told how he had paid his court fees and bought him items, including clothing and a bed.

Jailing him, Recorder Sam Qureshi said: "This is a despicable offence where you have taken the board, and accepted the kindness, of David Bagg, somebody who knew you were an offender but nevertheless thought that you had changed."